Portland, Oregon - Daniel SolomonChristian Ministries for Animals and the People Who Care About Them -
A Compassion Internet Christian Church Ministry From All-Creatures.org

We are offering services in two areas: 1) an intercessory prayer
ministry for pet owners, whose pets are sick, near death or who have
died, and 2) an
intercessory prayer for the animal movements and various public animal
issues. This will include going to people’s homes or other locations to
pray for them and their animals. And it will include praying for the animal movement as
part of our daily activities.

Our coordinator is an ethical and religious vegetarian and militantly against
hunting for population control who also believe that animals have eternal
souls and a relationship with God. Our coordinator is a committed, lifelong
Christian animal activist and environmentalist.

We would like to focus our animal related ministry, providing services
and opportunities which have not yet been currently addressed by the
Christian animal rights movement that we feel are necessary for growing
the movement.

September 19, 2016 issue of the Catholic Sentinel contains a story on
our workshop, Caring for our Common Home with Mercy. If you didn’t see
it in the paper edition, here is a
link to the online version. There’s also an accompanying video.

These plants are vitally, ecologically important
in sustaining the web of life...

Instructor, Daniel Salomon, holds a MA in
Research as well as a Graduate Certificate in Science and Religion. His
undergraduate work included biology and environmental studies. He is an
accomplished author of six books on the environment. He is a Hoyt
Arboretum citizen scientist, herbarium archive assistant and tour guide.

Daniel helped save a Cedar of Lebanon in his
neighborhood of Goose Hollow with his fellow neighbors under Portland's
tough new tree protection law which also protects trees on private
property (Title 11).

Daniel was interviewed by Amelia Templeton of
Oregon Public Broadcast on July 24, 2015 - "Portland Celebrates Key
Disability Rights Law With An Open Mic." Listen
here...

June 9, 2015

Good News! Outcome of the Block according to the Northwest
Examiner:

"When their neighborhood association was
unresponsive, they formed an independent organization to block
construction of a Athletic Club parking facility in violation of the
zoning code and past agreements. They knew it was an uphill fight, so
they raised $40,000 in preparation to appeal a City Council decision.
Instead, the council took their side, upholding the long-range land-use
policy plan for the area and causing the MAC's development partner to
withdraw the application. Having won the battle at City Hall, they also
elected allies and sympathetic individuals to their neighborhood
association board at its annual election last fall."

This new organization, Friends of Goose Hollow
(FOGH) were given an award for their citizenship in 2015 by Neighbors
Northwest, the umbrella citizenship association.

Daniel participated in the 2015 Portland Audubon
Society Birdathon and raised $60 in pledges for the organization.

May 14, 2015

Title: The Plants and Plant-based Organizations
of Israel

Hoyt Arboretum citizen scientist, archive assistant
and tour guide Daniel Salomon will be giving a public lecture and will
field questions on the Plants and Plant-based Organizations of Israel
based on Salomon's most recent six-week extended stay in Israel in the
Winter of 2015 on May 14th 2015 at the Hoyt Arboretum Visitor Center
from 7-8pm. The lecture will include a slide show and passing around
real-life plant materials, field guides and reference books which
Salomon personally brought back from Israel. Some attention will also be
given to the plants of the Bible, the native and invasive plant species
of the Israel, the importance of learning the Latin names of plants and
how to harness a systematics understanding of plants to better interpret
the plants of the Bible, as well as Israeli efforts to conserve,
preserve, restore and steward the plants of Israel and their ancestral
habitats.

As part of the Hoyt Arboretum Friends annual
fundraiser "Forage in the Forest: An evening of dance, discovery and
detectables" on August 1, 2015 two souvenir vouchers were auctioned off
as part of an auction package entitled "Private Tour of Hoyt Arboretum
for 4 with the Curator and Executive Director" where the herbarium
vouchers were marketed as "Take home a piece of the arboretum's history
with two herbarium vouchers." The entire auction package was auctioned
off for $600. 21 herbarium vouchers have been sold.

Daniel's brainchild of selling herberium plant
vouchers as a fundraiser for the
Hoyt Arboretum
in Portland, Oregon has been officially implemented by the Arboretum's
staff and volunteers. They are now available for purchase.

Red flowering Currant

Magellan Barberry

As of May 27, the Hoyt Arboretum has sold 10 plant vouchers and counting
as a fundraiser for the organization.

April 18, 2015

Daniel will be presenting a lecture/discussion on
Douglas Firs as part of the Wilderness International 2015 Creation Care
Summit on April 18th, 2015 at Eastridge Convent Church in Clackamas,
Oregon, 14100 SE Sunnyside Road. The event is free for students and open
to the public. A $20 registration free includes morning refreshments and
lunch. You can find more information and register online at
Wilderness International. See
PDF for an outline
of his presentation.

February 7, 2015

Committee Chair for the Environment Committee for the Friends of
Goose Hollow (FOGH)

November 20, 2014

As of November 20th, Salomon has mounted 100 plant samples for
the Hoyt Arboretum Herbarium, as a Hoyt Arboretum Herbarium
Assistant for the year of 2014.

October 7, 2014

Daniel was invited by Dr. Dan Brunner to be a seminary class
speaker in his graduate level Christian Earth Keeping Course at
George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon on October 7, 2014. Daniel
spoke and facilitated a discussion about the theological
anthropology themes in his various books related to animal theology
and disability studies. Daniel was awarded an honorarium by George
Fox University for being a seminary class speaker.

Recently joined the International Transformation Resilience
Alliance (ITRC), a new new ecopsychology organization dedicated to helping individuals,
vulnerable populations, mental health organizations and political
activists cope with the human costs of climate change.

At the Hoyt Arboretum, I am now a trained achieve assistant in
their herbarium and I am currently being trained to become a citizen
science by the Hoyt Arboretum's resistant botanist where I am doing
restoration ecology research on protecting, preserving and restoring
an uncommon orchid species stand recently discovered on arboretum
land.

My SDS conference went very well
however and environmental/animal issues are now on the radar scream
for the entire Society for Disability Studies (SDS) conference,
being the theme for the entire conference this year, although there
is still much that needs to be worked out in terms of collaboration.

June 2014:

I am planning to attend this year's Society for Disability
Studies (SDS) 2014 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, June 11-14.

I will be a presenter in another panel this year: Session 4.
Thursday June 12 3:30-5 PM. " Eco-Ability's Web of Disability,
Ecological, and Animal Justice and Liberation." I will be presenting
a paper, "Disability, Sustainability and the Nonhuman World: Toward
the Greening of Disability Studies and the Cripping of Deep
Ecology."

I will be promoting my book Confessions of an Autistic
Theologian: A Contextual, Liberation Theology at the New Book and
Poster Session an d Reception on Thursday, June 12, 5-6 PM.

I will be leading an interest meeting for "Meeting of Christians
of SDS" at 7-7:45 PM on Thursday June, 12.

April 2014 - Daniel has recently been invited to the EMO's
Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns for the State of Oregon and has
joined Wilderness International (WI) and Friends of Goose Hollow (FOGH).

Daniel has a Master of Arts degree in Research from Andover Newton
Theological School, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Science and
Religion, with a concentration in Religion and Ecology, from the Schools
of the Boston Theological Institute. He grew up Jewish, but
converted to Christianity later in life. He is currently a
non-denominational Christian.

As a 35-year old male living with Asperger’s (a neurological
condition) Daniel has a special sensitivity to animal life.

He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Studies from Salisbury
[State] University, in Maryland, with concentrations in Biology,
Environmental Studies and Conflict Analysis/Dispute Resolution, in
addition to a Naturalist Certificate from the Au Sable Institute of
Environmental Studies, in Michigan. He has also taken courses in animal
ethics and animal behavior science.

Some neurotypical (non-autistic, non-disabled)
animal activist-scholars have unfortunately used logical fallacies
to refute famous autistic animal welfare scientist, Temple Grandin,
who is a Professor of Animal Science at University of Colorado-Fort
Collins. Instead of challenging Grandin’s ideas and practices, they
have used her diagnosis as an “easy out” to easily discredit her.
Such a tactic has been personally and professionally marginalizing,
stigmatizing and alienating to members in the radical animal
movements who are on the autism spectrum. Not everyone in the
autistic community shares Grandin’s welfarist views on animals. I am
one such person.

“Animals and Disability,” Orlando 2013. “Getting to
Solidarity: Towards the Adjudication of the Conflict between the
Animal Rights Movements and the Autistic Pride Movements.” [Please
do not distribute without the expressed permissions of the
author---this material is copyrighted!]

This paper will respectfully, sympathetically, generously engage
the various animal movements to rethink the relationship between the
autistic pride and animal rights movements, from the perspectives of
ethics, critical social theory, political activism and conflict
resolution.

In a timely new release, Salomon revisits
political polarization, compassion fatigue, even Girardian Theory,
making the case that religious leaders absolutely must include
neurodiverse humanity in religious life as spiritual equals,
carefully listen to the spiritual voices of neurodiversity and
accommodate neurodiverse individuals, if organized religion is going
to have positive, life-affirming relations with the neurodiversity
barricade at all.

In Salomon’s long awaited autism story, Salomon addresses
directly how his autistic Christian ecological identity informs his
activism, scholarship, method of theological reflection and
spirituality. Salomon bases his “serious and radical” critique of
normal society on the planetary crisis and institutional animal
cruelty, attempting to reconcile disability justice with the
planetary agenda, in the process.

Salomon demonstrates that in the long-run, including
neurodiversity and disability justice on the planetary agenda will
help accelerate non-disabled efforts towards sustainability, justice
and nonviolence.

Salomon offers a practical framework with concrete guidance to
the various disability and faith communities alike from a Christian
liberation theology perspective, which will help realize a world
worth living in, for everyone.

Editorial Review by Kevin Koch,
Professor of English at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and author
of The Driftless Land: Spirit of Place in the Upper Mississippi
Valley (University of Southeastern Missouri) 2010): "I enjoyed reading your book. I particularly liked the
interdisciplinary approach of discussing the deep theological roots
of a reverence for nature, along with solid scientific information
about the challenges facing the environment today."

Discovering History & Nature At Ein Gedi: Daniel's sister wrote
an article about their pilgrimage together in 2009 in Ein Gedi
National Park in Israel which is mentioned in Have Mercy On Me,
An Ecological Sinner.

"Animal
Rights and Autism Pride: Let’s Heal the Rift" in the October
2010 issue of
The Scavenger

Comments on West Quadrant Plan, January 18, 2015I completely support the recommendations of the West Quadrant Plan
Minority Report which advocates for a more critical review of the
current height bonus policy and FAR transfer policy, preservation of
the distinctive character and human scalability of each of
Portland’s neighborhoods like Goose Hollow, concentrate tall
buildings along the north-south transit corridor and at freeway
viaducts, set height limits based upon realistic foreseeable market
demands and contextualized to the specific conditions of a given
neighborhood instead of a one-size-fits-all formulaic approach and
create more affordable housing opportunities. Read
PDF
here.

Jefferson 14 Apartments Testimony, December 11, 2014Recommendation for the Portland Design Commission Hearing on the
Jefferson 14 Apartments on December 11, 2014. Testimony regarding
architectural recommendation for a Jefferson Street apartment
proposal in Portland, Oregon as part of my work with Friends of
Goose Hollow (FOGH). In my testimony I advocate for livability
and sustainability in my own Portland neighborhood of Goose Hollow.
It has already been submitted and is now part of the public
record. Also, I am now the founder and chair of the environment
committee for the Friends of Goose Hollow (FOGH). Read
PDF
here.

Block 7, December 3, 2014Oral Testimony by
Daniel Salomon for the City Council of Portland (read
PDF
here)

Block 7, October 1, 2014Oral Testimony by
Daniel Salomon for the City Council of Portland (read
PDF
here)

Block 7, October 1, 2014Oral Testimony by
Daniel Salomon for the City Council of Portland and Goose Hollow
Foothills League (GHFL) (read
PDF
here)

Block 7 Testimony, April 29, 2014In-person
testimony presented to Goose Hollow Foothills League (GHFL) and that
may be presented at a public hearing in Portland sometime in May
2014. (See PDF here
and see
pictures taken by Carol Gilden here.)

Block 7 Testimony, January 17, 2014I am
against the MAC proposal to turn Block 7, a Goose Hollow open green
space and community pocket park on MAC land into a parking garage
and apartment high rise because the MAC’s proposal is ecologically
devastating (Goal 8.9, Objective G) (read
PDF
here and
see
pictures here)

A Natural History of Non-Flowering Plants - Guided Tour
by Daniel Salomon at Hoyt Arboretum, Portland, September 2, 2013

Tour
guide Daniel Salomon will lead a special guided tour of the
Arboretum on Labor Day, Monday, September 2 that focuses on the
natural history of non-flowering plants.

In Plant Systematic courses, non-flowering plants - like conifers
and palms - and primitive plants - like mosses, horsetails and
liverworts - are often glossed over. However, these primeval plants
are integral members of the temperate rainforest bioregion of the
Willamette Valley, where the City of Portland and the Hoyt Arboretum
are located.

Come take a guided saunter around Hoyt to learn, see and
experience for yourself the fascinating natural history,
evolutionary systematics and ecological place of non-flowering
plants both native to Oregon and from around the world. The tour
will end at the arboretum's beautiful, peaceful Redwood Deck for
those interested in quiet solitude and cultivating a sense of
place.

Annual Society for Disability Studies (SDS) conference, June 27,
2013, Orlando FL"Animals and Disability" (3:30-5:00pm)Abstract: This panel examines the intersections of critical disability
studies and animal studies. Stephanie Jenkins argues that
contemporary moral theory is premised on an ableist and speciest
conception of the subject. She proposes that disability studies and
critical animal studies share a common interest in developing a
robust and expansive understanding of moral considerability beyond
the limits of species-typical performance criteria. Haylie Swenson
examines the 14th century British poet John Gower's work as a site
where the human/animal binary is both affirmed and subverted.
Through this subversion, Gower's poetry opens up new venues for
exploring the experience of non-nomate human and animal bodies. John
Derby analyzes the relationship of ableism, speciesm, and
partriarchy in Foucault's Madness and Civilization. He argues that,
for Foucault, a discourse of animality-patriarchy worked to
marginalize and inflict violence on the mentally disabled. He claims
that art provides a space to formulate alternatives to this violent
discourse. Mara Green examines her relationship to her disabled
pitbull, Phoebe. This relationship serves as a starting point to
examine the relation of species-membership, race, class, gender, and
ability. Through her study, she examines how the "good life" for
both Phoebe and herself is negotiated and redefined over the course
of their inter-species relationship. Together, these papers show
that disability studies and animal studies can be jointly applied to
provide a powerful analytic framework for understanding contemporary
and historical problems. Presenters: John Derby, “The Discourse
of Animality-patriarchy: Representations of Madness and Mad Art” -
E. Mara Green, “The Phoebe Meditations: Pitbulls, Disability, and
the Good Canine Life” - Daniel Salomon, “Getting To Solidarity:
Towards the Adjudicating of the Conflict Between the Animal Rights
Movements and the Autistic Pride Movements” Moderator: Sunaura
Taylor Room: Lake

"Disability and Animals" panel member at the Society for
Disability Studies (SDS) conference, June 20-23, 2012, Denver CO.

Animals and Disability: Building Collaborations

Single Sentence Panel Abstract for program (25 words):

This panel will explore intersections between
disability studies and animal advocacy and will focus
on the challenges and possibilities of building collaborations
between the two fields.

Panel Abstract

Animals and Disability: Building Collaborations, will focus
on the many serious complications the disability and animal advocacy
communities have faced in building mutual collaborations and
alliances. While critiquing aspects of the animal advocacy community
this panel will also show how much these two fields have in common
and how much they could challenge and support each other. Presenter
Daniel Salomon reframes the existing conflict
between Autistic Pride and Animal Rights organizations in a manner
that shows the potential for collaborative alliance between these
groups. Deanna Adams explores the history of behavior modification
as it has been applied to the natural world, animals, and persons
with disabilities; highlighting that behaviorism must be understood
through an approach that considers the links between its practice on
humans and animals. Presenter Breeze Harper examines how white and
middle class able bodied consciousness constructs the taken for
granted value system within mainstream veganism and animal rights; a
value system that equates 'going vegan' with creating 'able and
productive' bodies, while simultaneously equating omnivorous
consumption with 'disabled' and 'unproductive' bodies. Lastly,
presenter Sunaura Taylor asks what disability studies can offer
animal rights? Her presentation will argue that these two fields
have an immense amount to offer each other. By arguing that
disability and animal injustices share common oppressions, Taylor
asks us to consider how we can begin to "crip animal rights." Harold
Braswell, who helped organize this panel, will moderate. Together,
these papers show that disability studies and animal studies can be
jointly applied to provide a powerful analytic framework for
understanding contemporary and historical problems.

Research interests:

Animal theology

Ecotheology

Science and Religion

Franciscan Studies

Girardian Theory

Disability Studies

Personal life missions:

work towards human-animal reconciliation

study God-world relationships

foster Christian-secular environmentalist/animal rights dialogue

popularize the Christian environmental/animal rights perspective

honor the Earth, yet worship Yahweh

try to do God’s will for God’s Creation

Long-term goals:

start a trade journal for animal theologians, written by and for
people in the animal theology field

start an in-person support group in the Portland, Oregon, area for
Christian vegetarians with the goal of creating a sense of
community, building relationships and providing networking
opportunities

offer environmental consulting services to use faith-based
interspecies communications techniques to deal with wildlife and
other animal pest problems that will also involve gathering more
evidence to support his nonviolent wildlife management praxis
recovered in Human-Animal
Reconciliation: Franciscan Faith-based Interspecies Communications and
Its Implications for Wildlife Management (Amazon.com, Kindle
Edition, 2008) (see the
All-Creatures review of this book)) as
well as honing in on techniques for being more effective in this
endeavor

ultimate dream...to start a Master of Arts Program in
Christian Environmental Studies, as outlined in Christian
Environmental Studies: an Educational Module with Syllabuses and a
Sample Lecture (Amazon.com, Kindle Addition, 2008).

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